Weather Forecasts And Other Prophecies
by jugglequeen
Summary: A season 3 canon story. Geoffrey has just proposed to Angela, and we get an insight view on Tony's troubled mind.
1. Downstairs Contemplation

**Downstairs Contemplation**

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><p><em>... high tide was at 4:18 today ...<em>

What is he saying?

..._ low tide at 6:19 ._..

Well, I don't care anyway. Let me just sit here and stare at this tv screen, listening to what this guy with the soporific voice has to say. But I'm not tired. Not at all! My heart is racing and my head is spinning.

_... high tide tomorrow will be at 4:19, low tide at 6:20 ..._

He proposed! He really proposed! I can't believe it! That dork had the guts to propose to Angela! He told me he wanted to propose a time share, how come he suddenly proposed a marriage?

... _winds from the Northeast from 15 to 20 knots ..._

Why didn't she refuse right away? She was angry with him when she came through that door, very angry. You don't want a man to propose when you're so angry at him, do you? I guess he had really screwed it up out there. No wonder, as clumsy as he is. If Mona was right and Angela had expected a marriage proposal but he had told her about his time share project instead, ... How can someone be so insensitive? Honestly, which man takes his date on a romantic getaway to the mountains and asks her to be his partner in a time share? She can't seriously be thinking of getting married to someone such as this, can she? Angela Wells? No way! That doesn't sound right!

_... and some swells with wave heights up to six feet are expected ..._

An impromptu wedding proposal! He went down on his knees and sang 'I Kiss Your Hand, Madame', ... Gee, Angela deserves better than that. To propose to a woman like Angela, you have to come up with something more sophisticated. A fancy dinner with a huge engagement ring in her glass of champagne maybe. Or a romantic sleigh ride and a proposal near a warming camp fire. Or a blimp! Yeah, that would be cool. I'd write it all over the Empire State Building if I wanted her to marry me.

_... there's an upper level low pressure system developing which could lead to possible late afternoon precipitation ..._

Geoffrey is a nice guy, but not the perfect match for Angela. Okay, he's smart, well-educated, and successful. She seems to like that in a man. Face it, Micelli, you're none of these things! Not dumb - granted, but certainly neither well-educated nor successful. He's kinda good-looking too; not very well-trained body, but handsome face. But she isn't truly in love with him. I mean, she had broken up with him already once, after his stupid accusations because of his demolished Porsche. As if his beloved car were more important than Angela. She took him back only because I talked her into it. I can't believe what an idiot I was! If I had kept my mouth shut at the time, just like Mona told me, we would've been spared this and Geoffrey would've left all of our lives for good a long time ago.

_... late night fog..._

Why did I ever let her dance with him on Paul and Isabelle's wedding in the first place? She had asked me whether I was okay with it. Why didn't I say, 'No, I want to dance with you! I'm the one who wants to hold you! You belong in my arms, not in his!'? Because it wouldn't have been right. She's my boss. She pays me. I clean her toilet. Who wants to dance with the guy who cleans your toilet? ... Well, Angela does. When we dance, we are totally in sync. She's not snobbish like so many people in this neighborhood. A bit uptight maybe, but not snobbish. She really cares for me, and for Sam. Oh dear, what will happen to us when she marries Geoffrey? We'll have to move out, I guess. No husband wants a male live-in housekeeper who's a good friend to his wife. Michael wanted us out, and Geoffrey will want us out, too.

_... visibility reduced to one mile ..._

I wonder whether they have already slept with each other. An inappropriate question for a housekeeper, I guess. It should be none of my business whom my boss sleeps with. Funny, I reasoned her out of sleeping with her boss the first night I spent in this house. She took my advice then, so maybe it is not so crazy that I think about it now too. Anyway, which man would date a woman like Angela for months and not want to sleep with her? Geoffrey seems to be a little awkward though when it comes to treating a woman perfectly. If he's in bed like he is out of it, then I bet it's a rather dull and uninspired matter. I doubt that he's able to fathom her needs. And if he thinks I'd help him out here once again, he's mistaken. I sure won't give him any advice on how to make love to Angela. She appears introvert and shy, but she's a complex, profound character. She is a strong and competent business woman one second, and a vulnerable little girl the very next. She tends to be so correct and prudish, eager to meet the social conventions, but I'm sure that's only her outward appearance. When it comes to true love, I assume she can be daring and passionate. And no normal guy can keep his desire in check looking at a body like hers. I mean, ey-oh oh-ey, the view I got when I walked in on her getting out of the tub in her birthday suit, ... womanly curves, milky skin, long legs, flat tommy, and ... er, ... firm breasts. Oh my, what is this dude saying about low temperatures? It's hot in here!

..._ tomorrow cloudy skies in the morning, followed by partial clearing_ ...

What if she's happy with marrying him? I want her to be happy. She deserves it. I can't talk her out of it just because I don't want to lose this comfortable and well-paid room-and-board-job. That would be selfish and unworthy of a good friend. But am I really doing her a favor with keeping my mouth shut? This woman is too rational at times. I bet she comes up with enough good reasons to marry him. Maybe she'll be even making a list! I need to appeal to her heart. She has to listen to her heart, then it will tell her that coming from similar backgrounds isn't necessarily all that counts in a relationship. You have to be crazy about the other, madly in love, unable to think of anything else but your lover, suffering from aching desire when the other one's not there. Angela's nothing like this with him. Maybe Geoffrey is, but not she! She likes him, enjoys being courted by him, has a nice little affair. Everyone needs some endearment once in a while. But 'until death do us part'? Seriously? Aarrgh!

... _a 20 percent chance of rain at the weekend_ ...

I wonder what Angela was like when she had fallen in love with Michael. More ardent than in this lukewarm relationship, I suppose. When I saw them kiss, there was chemistry in the room, even though it was only a half-hearted last attempt to revive their marriage. But when she kisses Geoffrey, there's not much passion there. There was more passion when we kissed after that childish flour fight in the kitchen. And we were both drunk, didn't realize what we were doing. My kiss almost made her faint! That says it all! Okay, maybe it was mainly the alcohol that made her knees wobbly, but our kiss was fiery and daring. If I had let her drag me into her bed, our relationship would've been different from what it is today. But I resisted the temptation, which was tough enough; and I'm glad I did. It was too early. But now, ... If she asked me to stay the night now, I don't know what I'd be doing. The next morning I told her that I wanted her to remember it if we ever made love. Gee, that was a gutsy thing to say! Given the fact that I had only worked a few months for her at the time. But I meant every word I said! And the look in her eyes when she told me that I would remember it too, ... God, the air is dry in here! I could use a drink. But I can't get myself to move. I just keep on sitting here. Is this still the same guy on the screen?

... _sunrise tomorrow at 7:13_ ...

I bet she's upstairs picturing her future with Geoffrey. Or is she having doubts? She said she needed to think about it. Phew, was I relieved to hear her say that! I might have jumped up and screamed 'No!' had she said yes. But she didn't say yes right away. Marie said yes right away. She flung her arms around my neck and kissed me. Because she was crazy about me, and I was crazy about her. Isn't hesitation a sign of doubt?

... _sunset at 5:59_ ...

Oh, Angela, please don't do this to me! Don't marry Geoffrey with a G!

... _wet weather continues across Pacific Northwest and New England_ ...

What?

... _possible 3 inches of rain _...

Did I just say 'to **me'**?

... _weather will remain unsettled_...

Yes, Micelli! Admit it! You don't want to lose her. You're terribly fond of her. And when you told her that marrying your housekeeper was too silly to even think about it, it was out of self-protection only. Come on, be honest with yourself! You've been daydreaming about a different kind of relationship with Angela the moment you signed your contract. And you believe you've seen something in her eyes that makes you hang in.

..._ local thunderstorms are possible_ ...

Why didn't I talk to her just now, when she was sitting here beside me on the couch? I could've asked her if she's sure she wants to spend the rest of her life with him. She wanted to talk to me, I could read it in her eyes. Why am I always chickening out when it comes to a private conversation with her? I have feelings for her, so what? That's no crime! Why is it so difficult to let her know how I feel about her? I don't want our relationship to change, at least not in the way a marriage to Geoffrey would connote. I need her in my life, I can't let her walk out of it with some other man.

..._ too cold and wet for the season_ ...

Okay, I'll have to talk to her tomorrow. This marriage needs to be prevented! I can't let her do this! For her own good. And for mine. For us. Some day there will be an **us**! I know. I just know!

..._ Thank you for watching The Weather Channel. Stay tuned for an update on your local weather condition and tides._


	2. Upstairs Contemplation

_**Author's note: **This story has been the second try of a one-shot, and again I was talked into a sequel. So, kirsty2765, here's what you asked for. Angela's musing after Geoffrey's proposal._

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><p><strong>Upstairs Contemplation<strong>

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><p>Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.<p>

Calm yourself, Angela! You wanted him to propose, and he proposed. So you got everything you wanted.

But why am I so confused? Why am I not overwhelmed with joy? When Michael proposed, I let him enfold me in his arms and cried for joy. We kissed and almost didn't stop. I was immeasurably happy and could've embraced the whole world. And I didn't hesitate a second to say yes, and his proposal had come out of the blue.

Do I really want Geoffrey to put a wedding band on this finger? I remember when Michael put it there. What a lovely wedding that was! I was hovering on cloud nine for the entire day. All I could think about was my handsome husband, our wedding night and the gorgeous life we would be sharing. Boy, was I mistaken! With respect to both the wedding night and our 'gorgeous' life. But he was handsome! At the time, I couldn't think of any other man being a better match for me than Michael. He was my dream prince! The one I wanted to be the father of my children, the one I wanted to share everything with, the one I would give my life for if necessary. He was the center of my universe - the only problem was that he was the center of his as well.

One failed marriage! Why am I so eager to try once more? Why did I push Geoffrey so insistently to propose? Has this become some kind of challenge? Was it because he hurt my pride proposing this stupid time share when I was actually expecting him to plead with me to marry him?

This whole relationship is so weird! Beginning with the moment we met at Paul and Isabelle's wedding. There I was, walking down the aisle at Tony's arm, imagining it was us who were bride and groom. Then we had to bear this stupid conversation with Ginger and Fred at our table, and I defended Tony as if I was his top lawyer in a murder case. We talked about it at the buffet, openly and honestly. Well, sort of ... I didn't tell him that I could imagine marrying him. My housekeeper. I said 'an appropriate person', just like he did. Maybe he also thought of me being the appropriate person for him. I'll never know. And then, all of a sudden, I was in Geoffrey's arms waltzing across the dance floor. I didn't want to dance with him. I wanted to dance with Tony, but he pushed me into the arms of someone else.

Geoffrey is a good dancer, I have to admit. We danced and danced and danced, until my feet would dance no more. And the way he made sheep's eyes at me felt good. I was flattered by his open admiration. I hadn't had a man looking at me like this for ages. From there on, our relationship gained momentum. The weekend after the wedding, we went on our first date - dinner and Broadway show. Not a very unique but classic date. He was the perfect gentleman; picking me up, inviting me for dinner, holding doors open, complimenting me, bringing me home, ... Thinking back to our first kiss still makes me marvel. It took him four weeks until he first kissed me goodnight! I already thought that he had lost interest in me. Four weeks!

Michael kissed me on our first date. He dragged me into a dark corner and covered my mouth with forceful kisses. We kissed until the end of time and let our feelings run free. Geoffrey asked for permission to kiss me, and when I said it was okay he hardly touched my lips. The kiss was so hasty and clumsy, I almost didn't notice that I was kissed. He's always so modest, so very considerate. I know he only tries to do it right, but I sometimes wished he was a bit more vivacious, a bit more hot-blooded and spontaneous. I'm not even sure he can be hot-blooded.

Maybe it's my fault. Mother told me I was prudish like a cold fish. She might be right. I probably don't encourage him enough. Or do I discourage him? I know I tend to be a little restrained, ... okay, I am very restrained. And slightly trapped in social conventions, ... okay, fully trapped. But there is a wild, passionate soul inside of me. It only needs to be awakened by the right man. Is it too much to ask from a man to look what's below the surface? Why do men always blind themselves by the outward appearance of the business owner? I'm also a woman, a woman who simply wants to be loved and cherished. I want a lover who's crazy about me, who desires me with every fiber of his being. Not one who thinks he's fulfilling my biggest wish with engaging me in a time share partnership. Michael desired me. At least for a while.

I wonder whether there will ever be someone sensitive and observant enough to fully comprehend who I am.

But do you necessarily have to be crazy about each other? I was crazy about Michael and what did it lead to? Divorce. I became a single parent and working mom with a mortgaged house. That is where overflowing passion brought me to. Maybe a more rational relationship, based on similar backgrounds and mutual goals in life is indeed a more stable base for a marriage. Geoffrey is reliable, smart, successful, neat, and gallant. Maybe it's stupid to keep on waiting for the perfect guy. Maybe I should take what I get instead of hoping for a shining knight on a white horse who carries me off to his castle.

Oh no, I feel a headache developing. No way I can make that difficult decision tonight! I'm too confused.

Food! I need something to eat! That will take off some of the tension. I could have a look for leftovers of tonight's dinner. There are always leftovers in the fridge, and no matter what Tony cooked, they're always delicious. Maybe the kids have even left some dessert. Something with chocolate.

I need chocolate! Now!

Now?

Come on, Angela! Chocolate has always helped you to calm down your nerves. ... Just a few more steps. The soothing remedy is downstairs in the kitchen!

_... and some swells with wave heights up to six feet are expected ..._

What's that noise? The tv? Is Tony still downstairs?

_... there's an upper level low pressure system developing which could lead to possible late afternoon precipitation ..._

He's sitting in front of the tv! He said he wanted to lock the door, I thought he'd be going to bed too. What is he doing down there? Watching The Weather Channel?

I guess he simply can't sleep either.

Tony!

Ouch.

Why does thinking about him feel like a stab into my heart?

_... late night fog..._

Angela, for heaven's sake, don't play dumb! You know exactly what it would mean for your relationship to Tony if you married Geoffrey!

_... visibility reduced to one mile ..._

I know, I know! Tony is so much more than my housekeeper. He's my friend. My best friend. I can't lose him! Why didn't he talk to me when I was sitting right next to him on the couch? I thought my eyes told him that it was okay if he asked me about the proposal. And when he shouted after me, when I was at the bottom of the stairs, I could swear he wanted to say something about Geoffrey and me. But again, no word! But I need to talk to him. I need his advice. Tony is such a sensitive man, and he knows me so well. But I can't do that now. Tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll talk to him. Yes, that I'll do! Right now, I'm too troubled, I wouldn't know what to say, how to handle the situation. I have to go back to my room and sort out my emotions first.

But how am I to do that without chocolate? Darn! I finished the emergency box of chocolate when Geoffrey and I were apart, and haven't replaced it yet. I know for sure that the top drawer of my nightstand is empty. How could I've only been so negligent? I know that I'm dependent on chocolate in an emotional crisis. And I am in an emotional crisis right now!

..._ tomorrow cloudy skies in the morning, followed by partial clearing_ ...

I'm back in my sanctuary at least. The sight of Tony staring at the tv screen was impossible to stand any longer. He looked so lost. Oh my God, I'll lose him! And Samantha! I'll deprive them of their home. But there's no way I can keep Tony as my housekeeper when I'm married to Geoffrey. No husband would accept a male live-in housekeeper who's so close to his wife. Even Michael, who usually only thinks about himself, realised how close we were. He kicked him out for the last try to save our marriage, and even soft-hearted Geoffrey will kick him out.

Isn't it significant that I can't keep Tony out of my thoughts while I'm trying to make up my mind whether or not I should marry Geoffrey? Our relationship is so unique, so crazy, so complicated. Yet so beautiful! And so very precious to me!

Do I really have feelings for the man I hired as my housekeeper? Mother is always teasing me with it. He is a wonderful man! I've never met someone like him before. So macho and manly on one side, and so giving and caring on the other. I know I can entrust him with anything. I even cried in his arms after I got fired. He said we were a family, and as such stuck together. I can't tear this family apart, can I? I do not **want** to tear this family apart.

On the other hand, ... do Tony and I really have a future? We're so different. Like fire and water. I've never dated a man like him, and he's never dated a woman like me. Well, he dated Wanda Benedict, but that doesn't count. Would he be able to be in a relationship with a woman like me? Being financially dependent on me? A proud man like Tony? I doubt it. But when he kisses me it goes right through me. Unfortunately I was too drunk to really enjoy our first kiss. But the one we shared in Mexico, after we had so much fun with that Hat Dance. The setting was so romantic; at the beach, the warm water of the Pacific lapping around our feet, the starlit sky above. I remember his soft lips on mine, his tongue fooling around, his hands in my hair. I could've killed Carlos for disturbing us because of just another one of these annoying phone calls from the office. I could've remained in Tony's arms forever.

Oh my, I have to get out of this woollen pullover.

How come I never feel the Earth move when Geoffrey kisses me?

Tony and I are not like usual employer and employee. Not at all! I've never hired someone I have feelings this strong for. I regard him highly. I like him. I like him a lot! But do I really love him? And if I do and things don't go well? We would end up tearing this family apart even so, but without a chance to stay together as friends.

I can't build my future on a daydream, and my future with Tony is nothing but a daydream. My future with Geoffrey is real. He's a good man, and he loves me. Maybe I can learn to love him back the way he loves me. I have to be reasonable. I can't decide such an important matter with my heart. I have to think it through.

Tomorrow!


End file.
